Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1887-10-22
lFor the Orange County Observer
CLOSING EXERCISES OF MR..
S. W. ANDREWS SCHOOL.

=. ". AN LINE VS Ct11OoL. :
Mn. EDITOR On Thursday the !
9TH inst, the closing exercises of the
free public school in Cane Creek
District, taught by Mr.. S. w. An
drews, took place. Being present
on this occasion, l desire to present
to your readers aud the public in
general, through the columns of
your esteemed paper. q statement
of the same. The day being a beau
tiful one, with clear blue sky, warm
sunshine and bracing air. some six
or seven hundred people ayailed
themselves OF its advantages and
came out TO hear the exercises OF the
day. BY 10 o'clock, the greater
portion Of the audience bad assem-
bled, aud the exercises then com
menced. A procession was formed
by the pupils of the school arranged
10 double file in the order of their
stature, the tallest first succeeded by
the next tallest and so on until the
least in stature brought up the rear
Of the procession. The procession,
preceded by the teacher and Mr.. w.
ID. Kings string band, now moved
tor ward somewhat Ia a semicircular
direction, and marched into the
school room, preparatory to the reg |
ular morning exercises. The teacher
| then came forward upon the plat
form prepared for the occasion and
requested the audience TO come to
order, which was readily complied
8 with, and the exercises began, which
c consisted of short speeches or recita.
tons by the little children, and reel.
,ations in prose and verse by the
larger ones, which 10 the excellency
of the preparation and the rendering
tof them upon the stage, was de-
serving OF praise aud emulation, and
reflected much credit, both upon
= teacher and pupil, and must have
IT been truly encouraging and satistac-
tory to the parents OF the school.
e., Space would forbid my entering
" into detail or minute description OF
j. the various recitalions given, 0 10.
deed do We deem i. necessary TO do
so, only in a general way. must
also state in this connection that
,e during these exercises alternating
g with each recitation, the audience is
is indebted to the band for ~discoursing
OF sweet strains of music which lent 8
charm, and during the enchantmen'
OF acted like 3 panacea 10 orr minds
n causing US to forget the surround
be ings and look away from ourselves
Sc and throw off the cares Of lite anC
oil forget the ills Of the flesh and feel d
ID, if we were drinking from the toun
tain Of youth again. For, as ,h'
". poet expresses it,
"Music is tho medicine of life
iii 1t cures the ills. it calms the strife,
ns. 1t softly smoOths the lrow OF care,
es And adds Il thousand graces there
These exercises were coptinue'
until II o'clock, and An intermissio
of one hour was then given for dir
ner. A bount,ful repast was sprea
for the people, and all were invite
, 5 to indulge their appetites in IL
18 many good things prepared for III
90 occasion, and if they did pot it mus
90 have been Of their own accor'
Ok After dinner is over the people e.
G5 ioy themselves for awhile in plea
10 ant conversation, speaking OF Il
- scenes of their youth and II
90 changes that have taken place, ar
10 the difference of DOW and then; b
IS soon the hour is out, aud the exc
70 cises are resumed.
As AT the request OF some, the scho
60 again forms a procession and mar
30 as before into the school room, pr
% s paratory for the evenings e1ercis'
so At this hour it was expected that
, 80 address would be delivered by 0
County Superintendent Rev. }.
: Currie, but from some cause
which we are not aware, he failed
be present, to the regret OF t
teacher and many of the audien'
The exercises of the evening, (whl
are generally the best and held
reseryeD contested principally
declarations, dialogues and
citations of the larger boys a
girls in the school, alternating
q. vocal and instrumental music. Ag
,,,.e as in the morning, the pupils acq'
i,ion ed themselves remarkably "
n lot much to the enjoyment and delil
inty. OF the audience, and evidently {,
Sose, ced Mr. AS tact and talent in SELF
!. and ing material and instruc,ing and
this pairing his pupils for such occas'c
r and These exercises continued until J
ltion' 1 o'clock in the s%fternoon, a:
- close OF which the writer and sc
TWO or three other gentlemen p
=. ept made some remarks in regard
the progress OF education.
IN audience was then dismissed, '
pleased with what they had s
,, and heard, and We hope encours
to do more tor the advancement
edncation and the general effuslo